Ben Klock
A fixture in Resident Advisor’s top-10 DJs for the best part of a decade, Ben Klock needs little introduction. Having become a Berghain resident in 2005, he has since established himself at the forefront of Berlin’s modern Techno movement and has become one of the most in-demand DJ-producers of the current generation.
Those who have witnessed him perform will note not only the diversity in his track selection, but also his ability to create a room rather than just play to it. Much of his early career was marked by marathon sets – a signature that played a considerable role in nurturing his skills and reputation – but even the more compressed sets he shares today evidence an intricate narrative and sense of flow that defines him as a DJ. It was these inherent abilities that led him to compile the fabric 66 compilation in 2012, before winning the BBC Radio 1’s Essential Mix of the Year award in 2015.
Over recent years his focus has been on touring – but his early works, most of which were released via Ostgut Ton, have become landmarks in the imprint’s history. 2009’s “Dawning”, the first of his collaborations with Marcel Dettmann, kickstarted the label itself and remains a stand-out track in its discography. Other releases of particular note include “Subzero”, taken from his Before One EP, and the Compression Session EP (2010). For many, however, it is his album One (2009) that best captures Klock’s talents as a producer. Still today, this seminal record forms a reference point for all Techno long-players. Additionally, Klock also runs Klockworks, a label he founded in 2006 to present his more diverse personal tastes and support developing talents.